Iíll just start to say Iíve never really lifted weights before this year. Iíve pretty much always been a scrawny white boy. Never lifted in high school, my roommate in college had played HS baseball and we went a few times, but there was always something that interfered with us making a good routine of it.Earlier this year I PMed Cord and got a routine to work on. Iíve been working on it off and on, starting off with 4x10 with light weights to get the hang of the exercises and proper form. I averaged 1 workout every three days for the first half of the year, doing pretty good. Falling off a few times, taking a week here and there. But I felt pretty good about it. I recently purchased more weights for my barbell at home to up my workouts to 4x5, that was the same time I purchased the medicine ball.

So now Iím set with two workouts Iíll be trying to alternate between them along with my martial arts workouts.

A- Just the basics of strengthening, after a while Iíll change it up and/or add somethingOverhead Squat 4x5Deadlift 4x5Overhead Press 4x5

B- A little HIT routine that I made up for myself (with some additions form Cord)150 skips on the jump rope as fast as possible10 pushups on medicine ball- alternating the hand on the medicine ball (5 each hand)10 trunk rotations with medicine ball at waist level- 10 lunges each leg- medicine ball held above head10 V-ups with medicine ball held above headGroiners/Mountain Climbers (not sure how many yet, havenít added those)Turkish Getups (not sure how many, probably very few, havenít added those yet)

Repeat that set 3 times, work my way up to 4. Short break between exercises, 20-30 seconds, 60 seconds between sets. Slowly work my way down to a continuous cycle. Iíve only done it twice, without the Groiners and Getups.

My equipment at home is as follows:10 lb medicine ballJump ropeFree weights:20-lb barbell, 1Ē diameter2- 5-lb dumbbells, 1Ē diameter125lbs of weights to load on the barbell

Well, I think that was long-winded enough. Tired of my workout log yet?

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We should all take ourselves seriously...and then crumple that image up and toss it out the window.

About 56 minutes with the warmup, methinks I may be taking too long between sets.

I usually start off with some dynamic legs stretching to warmup. 2x20 of front, side, and back kicks. It's about the only stretching I get in, and it warms me up fair enough. I'm definitely willing to look at other methods of warmups, so if you've got'em, send'em over.

Today's workout wasn't up to snuff, I've been a bit busy with packing to move and a lot of other things lately. I got it done, but wasn't as into it as I would have liked. That's another reason I took so long on my workout today, a little tired, a little distracted.

I also think that my lack of upper body strength is hurting my overhead squats, I feel as though maybe I can squat more, but that's pretty close to my limit for being able ot hold it over my head. I'll have to focus more on how it feels the next time I do it.

See you tomorrow.

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We should all take ourselves seriously...and then crumple that image up and toss it out the window.

Another comment on my HIT routine. It is meant to be something I can do in my living/dining room with what limited resources I have. Trying to work all of the general parts and get a good cardio workout.

From what it was like on Sunday, it's a GREAT cardio workout.

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We should all take ourselves seriously...and then crumple that image up and toss it out the window.

Joel, that you took the initiative to workout and are committing to it ... that is all good.

We all have to start somewhere and work with what our genetics have provided us, what we can afford for time and equipment, and just life in general. Just keep everything as positive and it will make it that much easier and later addictive. Even on bad days or days you don't think you got enough out of it ... look for at least "one" positive thing. Perhaps it was one more rep. Maybe it was an extra pound. Perhaps you found something wrong with what you were doing and will correct it next time. Just look for something and focus on that positive and before you know it you will have a handful of positive things that will put a smile on your face and you will start to see some good results. A lot of weight lifting is mindset. Your mind can be your best friend or your worst enemy. I fight with mine all of the time and sometimes I win and sometimes I lose ... but I win more then I lose so that is a positive.

Good on you for doing this Joel ... we are all behind you.

(Note: I believe you are doing HITT or HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and not HIT (High Intensity Training).

Edited by Dereck (07/20/0601:31 AM)

_________________________"IF I COME ... I'M BRINGING THE PAIN WITH ME"